Big Wave Wellness Center, on the smaller southern parcel next to Princeton, would provide affordable housing for up to 50 developmentally disabled adults and 20 caretakers, along with a fitness center, indoor pool, and potential employment opportunities for the residents. There would also be 10,000 square feet of commercial storage, and parking for 50 cars for staff and visitors.
The industrial zoning in Princeton does not allow housing so the developers seek a Use Permit for a “sanitarium”. Airport agencies at county, state and federal level consider this an incompatible use next to the airport which would jeopardize important federal funding for the airport. Efforts to mitigate tsunami and flood zone dangers include raising the building grade 6 to 8 feet in this otherwise flat former wetlands next to Pillar Point Marsh.
Big Wave Office Park, on the larger northern parcel next to Pillar Ridge, would consist of 225,000 square feet of mixed use office space in 4 to 8 buildings up to 50 feet tall, and parking for 640 to 737 cars. To get an idea how massive this office park would be, consider that 120 2-story houses could fit inside them. Compare their proposed height of 50 feet to the largest existing nearby building, the warehouse north of Pillar Ridge which is 24 feet tall.
Traffic impacts include an estimated 2000 car trips per day to/from the site over an indirect route of narrow residential or industrial neighborhood and coastal-visitor-serving streets without sidewalks or bike lanes. There would be 7 acres of parking on the Big Wave site and an additional undetermined offsite parking location for 50 cars would be required.
Water for the site is limited to an existing agricultural well in the northeast corner near Pillar Ridge. The developers hope to get approvals from LAFCO and the Coastal Commission to join Coastside County Water District, but that may not happen.
The Office Park would not be built until there are buyers or tenants for the buildings which is very unlikely in the current economy, but a Development Agreement from the County would lock approvals in place and allow the applicants 20 years to complete the project, or the property could be sold including the development rights.
Project Approval and Appeals: San Mateo County Planning Commission approved the project by a vote of 3-2 in November 2010. The County Board of Supervisors denied an appeal and approved the project by a vote of 4-0 in March 2011. An appeal (link to pdf) was filed with the CA Coastal Commission in April 2011 by citizen groups including Committee for Green Foothills, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, Surfrider San Mateo County Chapter, Pillar Ridge Homeowners Association, and San Mateo County League for Coastside Protection.
Stay Informed: To receive email updates on issues directly affecting Pillar Ridge residents, including the Big Wave project, send an email to Lisa.Ketcham@comcast.net.
Photos
Montara Fog: Big Wave Project Overview Video
Final EIR & project approvals 2010
Pillar Ridge HOA, Oct. 2010
Dept of Public Works CalTrans -FAA 11-02-2010
CA Coastal Commission Comments, Oct. 2010
Granada Sanitary District Oct. 25, 2010
Committee for Green Foothills 11-10-2010
CGF attorney Shute Mihaly 11-9-2010
Draft EIR Public Comment Nov/Dec 2009
Pillar Ridge Homeowners Association
CA Coastal Commission staff
Committee for Green Foothills
Committee for Green Foothills attorney
Rick Harding (economics)
League for Coastside Protection
Sierra Club
Iris Rogers (aesthetics)
Yuri Daher (waterfront zoning)
Montara Water & Sanitary District
Granada Sanitary District
Dot Norris, Marine Biologist
Midcoast Community Council
Len Erickson (visuals)
C/CAG Airport Land Use Committee
Save the Waves Coalition
California Pilots Association
Links :
Big Wave Final Environmental Impact Report
County staff report on Big Wave EIR [38mb pdf]
Big Wave site
Oct. 2009 draft Environmental Impact Report
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) weighs in on Big Wave 12/08
Letter to HMB Review by Merrill Bobele, a resident of El Granada, retired teacher, and parent of a developmentally disabled adult daughter. 12/08
Coastsider article on Big Wave June 2006 pre-application workshop. At that time the project was smaller (2-story office park).
A History of the Big Wave parcel with aerial photos posted 3/09
Grading and imported soil without permit at Big Wave site June 2006 -- Routine agricultural practices or pre-development by agriculture?
Opinion: Don't lock developmentally disabled out of sight, by Ruth Palmer